Adam Grant: What frogs in hot water can teach us about thinking again | TED

The Dangers of Complacency: Rethinking Our Decisions

The Frog in Boiling Water Analogy

• The analogy of a frog in boiling water illustrates how gradual changes can lead to disastrous outcomes. Unlike the frog, humans often fail to recognize slow-building dangers.

• Examples include delayed reactions to pandemics, climate change, and threats to democracy, highlighting our reluctance to rethink situations.

Challenges of Rethinking

• While we adapt easily in some areas (like fashion), we struggle with rethinking our goals and identities, which can be detrimental in a rapidly changing world.

• Intelligence may hinder rethinking; smarter individuals are more prone to biases that prevent them from recognizing when they need to change course.

Personal Experience: Climbing the Volcano

• A personal anecdote about climbing an active volcano demonstrates the pitfalls of commitment without reassessment. Despite taking longer than expected, the group pressed on without reconsidering their decision.

• They ultimately reached the summit at sunset, leading to a dangerous situation due to lack of preparation and resources.

Escalation of Commitment

• This concept refers to continuing down a failing path due to prior investments. It explains why businesses like Blockbuster and Kodak failed by not adapting their strategies.

• Individuals also experience this bias in personal decisions—staying too long in bad jobs or relationships because admitting failure is difficult.

The Role of Grit and Persistence

• Cultural values around grit can lead people to persist in failing endeavors rather than reevaluating their choices.

• Research shows that overly tenacious individuals may face dire consequences, such as mountaineers who risk their lives for stubborn persistence.

Conclusion: Rethinking Goals and Identity

• True grit involves knowing when to pivot rather than blindly pursuing one goal. It's essential not just to reach the top but also ensure safe return.

Identity and Rethinking: A Journey of Self-Discovery

The Shift from Passion to Dread

• The speaker reflects on their experience in college diving, transitioning from a supportive team environment to feeling overwhelmed by more talented competitors.

• They describe the physical challenges of early morning practices, highlighting fear of heights and the struggle between mental readiness and physical capability.

Identity Foreclosure: Understanding Self-Perception

• The speaker introduces "identity foreclosure," a psychological term for prematurely settling on one's identity without considering alternatives.

• They relate this concept to common life choices, emphasizing how rigid adherence to an early identity can lead one astray, akin to following faulty GPS directions.

Embracing New Identities

• After reevaluating their identity post-freshman year, the speaker recognizes that diving was a passion rather than a defining purpose; they focus on values like growth and contribution.

• Research supports exploring multiple identities instead of fixating on one; stepping away from diving allowed them to pursue psychology research and coaching while also indulging in magic as a hobby.

Transforming Teaching Through Rethinking

• The speaker shares their journey into academia as an introvert who initially feared public speaking but learned to engage students through performance techniques advised by mentor Jane Dutton.

• Despite initial success with routines, they faced criticism for not practicing what they preached about rethinking teaching methods.

Overcoming Cognitive Entrenchment

• The speaker discusses "cognitive entrenchment," where even beneficial habits can hinder growth; they experienced defensiveness when confronted with the need for change.

• Drawing from emotion regulation research, they learned to view emotions as evolving processes rather than fixed states, allowing for curiosity over defensiveness.

Student-Centered Learning Experiences

• By inviting students to design class sessions, the speaker discovered valuable insights from their students' experiences and perspectives.

• Activities like writing letters to their freshman selves or giving passion talks fostered deeper connections among students and enhanced learning outcomes.

Annual Checkups: A Practice in Rethinking

• The importance of regular self-reflection is emphasized through annual reminders for rethinking teaching methods and personal goals—akin to medical checkups.

Cultural Implications of Rethinking

• Rethinking is framed as essential not just personally but culturally; society often equates confidence with competence while discouraging doubt or change in opinion.

Challenging Feedback Norms

The Importance of Openness and Confident Humility in Leadership

Humor and Initial Impressions

• Mohamed El-Erian humorously compares the number of stories shared to "Aesop’s Fables," suggesting that sometimes less is more.

• Adam Grant comments on the nervousness in the room, indicating a light-hearted atmosphere with laughter from the audience.

• Mae McDonnell acknowledges the professor's Australian background while playfully encouraging him to be tougher with students.

Enhancing Student Engagement through Feedback

• Adam Grant shares that showing clips in class leads to more thoughtful student feedback, prompting them to rethink relevance.

• He emphasizes that demonstrating receptiveness to criticism fosters an environment where students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts.

Modeling Vulnerability for Growth

• Grant recounts a project with the Gates Foundation where Melinda Gates volunteered to share her imperfections after receiving humorous feedback.

• This openness encouraged others at the foundation to acknowledge their limitations and engage in problem-solving discussions.

Understanding Confident Humility

• Confident humility is defined as being secure enough in one's strengths while acknowledging weaknesses.

• Strong leaders engage critics rather than silence them, using feedback as a tool for personal and organizational growth.

Challenging Assumptions and Embracing Discomfort

• Leaders are encouraged to listen to challenging ideas instead of only those that affirm their beliefs, promoting critical thinking.